


Peacetalks

by merr



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-13
Updated: 2013-09-13
Packaged: 2017-12-26 11:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/965602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/merr/pseuds/merr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Daniel has a cup of coffee while waiting for Jack to wake up, reminiscing about the early days of their relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Peacetalks

Daniel wrapped his hands around the steaming mug in his lap, lost in thought as he stared out across the trees, watching the pale pinks and oranges lighten. It was strange to be up before Jack, but he'd grinned to himself as snuck around the cabin kitchen, making coffee: _He deserves a break after last night, I'll let him sleep as long as he wants after that..._

Now, cloaked in blankets on the back step of the cabin, he pondered over the colonel he'd met all those years ago, a stranger -- stiff backed, hair cut in a sharp peak, so distrustful and distant. And beneath all of that, so ready to die.

He thought of that man next to the man sleeping peacefully upstairs and shook his head -- their friendship had been rocky in the beginning, why would their relationship be any different? When they first fell together, Daniel was still mourning Sha're, but he was leaps and bounds ahead of Jack who wouldn't even let himself conceive of sharing how piecemeal his heart had become over the years and damages.

Daniel took a small sip of coffee, savoring the bitter tinge. There hadn't been explosive drama, no screaming matches, no broken dishes or skin -- just a growing silence, a chill that, try as he might, Daniel couldn't seem to melt away. He realized, after a few tense moments in his apartment kitchen at 3a.m. questioning the last six months of their whirlwind, that Jack wasn't uncaring or cold -- he was terrified.

It had taken some convincing, but Daniel'd finally agreed to let Jack keep his autonomy, let the man have his alone time when he needed it, even though Daniel wanted fiercely to be at his side through those moods. When Jack was happy, was feeling level, they grew closer and closer... which made it murder for Daniel not to see him on those days Jack told him he needed to be alone.

It grew less torturous as time went on and, even if Daniel didn't still agree with it, he had understanding in spades. He knew the creeping paranoia, piping up when least expected, planting seeds of doubt that somehow the one you loved would leave, would be taken, that somehow it would go wrong. Jack's unwavering loyalty, attention and the occasional panting, whispered admissions of love were quelling that voice, bit by bit... but Daniel feared he wasn't getting through to Jack the same way.

Whenever Daniel's patience grew strained, he would take a breath, stare into Jack's eyes (sometimes, at the back of that silver, stubborn head) and remind himself that some things in life are worth waiting for: some languages needed hours of study, some impassive artifacts simply required repeated, gentle handling to give up their secrets.

Daniel put his mug down, adjusted the blankets over his toes, tucking it close and the reclaimed his coffee -- he still remembered every single detail in the chain of events leading up to Jack finally letting him in. They'd been making dinner in the courtyard at Daniel's apartment complex, standing across the grill from each other, sipping beer and shooting the shit like any normal weekend when suddenly Jack just... opened up.

He started slow, his voice normal, talking about how he'd met Sarah, the romance they'd shared, the joy he'd felt when Charlie screamed in his arms. His voice hitched and dropped an octave as he went on about his son's birth, saying that he felt like he was staring out at the stars through his telescope as he stared at the kid's toes, his curled fingers.

Jack brought his callused hands together as if he were cradling water in them, murmuring that he could feel all the possibilities unfolding as the tiny human in his hands squirmed and wiggled and screamed. "I felt like I could run down a pack of lions for this kid; like I could pull the moon out of the sky and dangle it just close enough he could touch it if he wanted. He was new and perfect and bright. So individual, but so... _mine_."

Daniel was, for the first time he could ever remember, struck utterly and completely without words or thoughts of his own. He gaped at Jack, taking everything in and stamping it into his memory: so unexpected, so poetic, so many of the things he had hoped to hear for almost two years were tumbling out of Jack as naturally as groundwater from a spring. The archaeologist held stock still, trying to be as unassuming as possible -- if he did anything that made Jack stop talking, he would absolutely and utterly kick his own ass to Abydos and back.

Daniel's efforts had the opposite effect, he realized with extreme frustration, as Jack's jaw snapped shut and his eyes went flat. The colonel backpedaled at record speed, making some dismissive comment about everyone thinking their baby is the cutest one in all of history when really they're all just stinky grubs and slammed the last of his beer in two hard gulps.

Daniel stepped forward, quickly, saying his partner's name with as much compassion as he possibly could, "Jack, no, I was listening, I wasn't ignoring you. Go on, I never get to hear about Charlie, I want to know --"

Jack shrugged Daniel's hand off, murmuring something about nine years not being long enough to give him many stories to share anyway and set the beer bottle down to dig out his keys. Daniel grabbed for his arm again, trying to get him to stay, damn near begging him not to walk away -- but Jack just shook his head, flashed Daniel that plastic, defensive smile the brunette absolutely hated and said he'd see him bright and early at SGC the next day.

Despite everything that screamed for him to run the silver-haired man down, Daniel rooted himself to the spot and watched his complicated lover disappear into the parking lot.

Three hours later, Daniel's patience gave. He cursed at himself as he picked up his cell phone and tried to call Jack, knowing the man needed his space but not being able to hold himself back anymore -- and when the answering service picked up right away, Daniel's anxiety took a hold of him. The image of them cracking into the second six-pack of the evening sparked a fire -- What if Jack hadn't gotten home? What if he'd...

Daniel stewed anxiously for the longest minute of his life before grabbing his keys and sprinting down the back stairs of his apartment complex. The drive was shorter than he ever remembered it being and he was at Jack's door before his anxiety had completely driven him to shaking. He didn't see Jack's suburban parked in the driveway and the logical "he probably parked in the garage" was completely overpowered by Daniel's need to see Jack's face, to touch him, to hold him, to make sure he was okay. And if he was, to let the stubborn sonofabitch know in no uncertain terms just how loved he was.

Jack answered the door, finally, with a carefully sculpted face and deadpan remark about not wanting to fall asleep offworld -- which Daniel interrupted with a deep, searing kiss.

Daniel squinted a bit as the sun broke the treeline and stood up to stretch, the memory of that night bringing a smile to his face. Jack had tried to turn the kiss into something more visceral, to distract the both of them, but Daniel finally put his foot down, parried Jack's groping hands and desperate kisses with gentle words and a determined heart.

By the time the sun rolled around, Jack had lost his voice but gained everything that mattered.

At the tail end of Daniel's stretch, Jack shuffled out the back door, scratching the silver hair loping up out of his pajama pants and yawning. Daniel grinned and struck out to touch Jack's tongue and interrupt his yawn. The look Jack got on his face whenever his strange, brunette partner did it usually kept the younger man in stitches of laughter for a good solid thirty seconds at a pop. This time, Daniel overerestimated how groggy Jack was and yelped as the older man bit down on his finger, catching him for the first time.

Jack grinned, black eyes flicking down to Daniel's hand then narrowing as he mumbled, "I swear I had the right ring size when I went in there..."

Daniel tugged his hand back, adjusting the ring on his pointer finger and taking his turn to grin as he watched the slightly raised angstrom glint. He leaned against Jack and mumbled into his neck, "You finally caught me -- you know this means war, right?"

Jack's rumbled snort made Daniel's grin widen as the older man wrapped one arm around his lower back: "No opportunities for peacetalks, hm?"

He took Jack's hand, braiding their fingers, matching titanium bands clicking together as Daniel leaned in to kiss his new fiance good morning, murmuring, "Let's discuss my terms..."


End file.
